Alcohol is the most commonly abused drug, followed by marijuana, stimulants, and cocaine. Alcohol and drug abuse can adversely influence affective stability, cognition, and behavior among persons with mental illness (Sherwood Brown et al., 2001). Alcohol abuse has effects on the adolescent brain; it impairs neuroplasticity, decreases problem solving, verbal and non-verbal retrieval, and visuospatial skills. Damage to the frontal limbic system causes “blunted emotional reactivity.” The worldwide prevalence of alcohol use disorders in adults was approximately 1.7%, and was more than 5% in North America (Chalub and Telles, 2006.)
